I decided to buy the new Hobie evolve 2 motor. It is 2hp and eventually will be solar rechargeable. I should receive it in a few weeks. I will write a review on it after I test it out. With you living in the Keys I am sure you see the potential of this solar rechargeable motor for extended Everglades trips.

Very nice my Hobie dealer gulped as he told me the price of this incredible piece of german engineering. I just bought a 24 X 24" 50 watt Sharp solar panel with a 6 Amp Morningstar controller today and the retrofits to make the panel recharge my 7 amp closed cell battery. I can see few problems to use the Solar cell to recharge the Lithium Battery of the E-volve. As we all suffer from a planet that has more water than land, it seems logical to let the electrons do the paddling, hehehe.

Please let me know how it works out as I'll pass you the specs (and results)of my solar system on a light load

Ouch on the bent aka's. But it looked like you had everything under control until you tried to use your body as a cushion to prevent injury to your TI (and wifey) on that rouge wave. Reminds me of the hold Tommy Holmes attempt a while back. http://rambos-locker.blogspot.com/2007/ ... ut_10.html

Working on my shorebreak landing also. With the daggerboard and rudder retracted, doing okay with jumping off my TI and pushing it onto the beach knowing that I can let go of the whole rig if things get bad. Safer to body surf in than being catapulted from on top of a rig. Don't forget tell the first paddler (wifey) that you're bailing

Looks like the port front and back AKAs will cost around $200 shipped. Should have them in about a week. Given the potential damage that could have happened, I count my blessings and figure I got off cheap! I will send pictures later of my new anchoring system.

Those waves on your return looked intimidating. Very glad to hear that you guys were ok.

Very impressed how it so easy it is going to be to fix the boat and go sailing again. Two brand new akas and you'll be on the water terrorizing the fish again.

Your post and everyone's feedback to this thread have been very valuable. I too wish to be better prepared for challenging beach landings.

Quote:

#3: If you are in the ocean and you see a thunderstorm within a 100 miles of you, be afraid because you cannot run.

In the S Fl summer, every day there is a storm within 10 miles of us! We all work so hard during the week, we can't stay home and wait for the storms to pass. We gotta go sailing.

There is a solution to this challenge.

Many of us have smart phones such as the iPhones, Android, and Microsoft Mobile. They all have web browsers. I have a Microsoft Mobile PDA phone with the Opera web browser. My wife has an iPhone with a free radar app. We both are able to download and view South Florida radar with animation. With these tools, we actively monitor and predict the movements of most of the bigger storms/cells. When we go sailing, we protect the phones with clear waterproof bags and check them every 30-60 minutes while we're sailing. If it ain't moving towards us, we keep sailing.

Quote:

#5. Always beach the TI with the AMAs out.

It can be very challenging to keep the stern or bow perfectly aligned into all the incoming waves. Therefore, we do need to develop a best practice for how to handle this situation.

You suggest to always beach the TI with the AMAs out. I agree with you that the port AMA was all that prevented the TI from flipping over. But what is wrong with the boat rolling over on its side?

I prefer to fold and bungee the amas in when landing. This way, if the boat were to take a bad wave on its beam, it will simple roll over to its side unscathed.

Trinomite suggestion to use the anchor to slowly back into the beach is very interesting. Learning how to use the anchor to perform a controlled landing would be great. I have small Fortress anchor running through a loop at the bow. It can be deployed in a second.

Once you land on the beach, how do you retrieve the anchor from the ocean? How do you handle a beach with a steep grandient?

Hi Please recall this technique was used on a long slim inflatable (Innova Sunny)

Yes the D ring , on the bow is crucial to allow the forecrew to control the line.

The rear crew is stabilizing the stern to prevent a beam presentation to the line of force at all cost (not that hard, if the fore crew learns how to bring the line in and out and go with the flow.

By running a float with a figure 8 knot smaller than the bow ring but bigger than the center hole in the float, then 'Robert will be the Brother of your Father'.

Another probably better method may be poly prop anchor rode (which floats) which we never tried as it will rip the water soaked skin off your hands if handled without gloves. We use double braid nylon with a float and knots.

As I said we dumped twice until the North Pacific water temp cleared the residual frozen neurons out of our heads and we worked it out as a team...

I'm curious why it seems everyone mounts their anchors to the bow, At least on my TI I have great difficulty reaching my bow around and over all my sails, I have always kept the anchor in the rear side pouch and tied to the rear lift handle, or laying on the rear deck. The Anchor is a standard 4 spoke with folding spokes, I don't lock the spokes to the in position but instead just spin the anchor line around the anchor and stuff it into the pocket. This way if the boat tips over the anchor automatically deploys. The other day when my wife and I had to beach in a thunderstorm, she basically threw the anchor over her shoulder backwards and hung onto the anchor line to try and help control our entry onto the beach. I guess I'm just not getting why backing in and having to raise the rudder earlier is better, and why ever mount the anchor in the bow where nobody can reach it. In my boat the rear crewmember always deploys the anchors while I'm cleaning up the sails and raising the centerboard and pulling the front mirage drive (we seldom remove the rear mirage drive. We carry two anchors when diving one on each side. I guess I just don't understand the bow anchor thing.Bob

we beach quite often, and also have steep beaches with the waves developing and breaking in the last several yards of the trip.

I recently exchanged my 'flimsy bladed' Hobie kayak paddle for a stiff, single canoe paddle. I went for one of the telescoping ones, as I have other plans for it when it's not being a paddle.

I feel much more in control of the boat using the longer, single bladed, stiff paddle. I will be exchanging the other double Hobie paddle for another telescoping canoe paddle. They fit the same clips on the akas as the Hobie paddles.

The rest of it, well, it's planning and seamanship. The leading cause of problems with boats is allowing them to touch land.

I've always felt it would be better to take the mast down and bungee it to the crossbars before attempting a difficult beach landing. A couple of years ago, Arno got rolled by a wave and ended up with the mast embedded in the sand. Once the mast is down, I wonder if it might not be better to make sure everything is lashed down, then retract the amas and swim it in. At least, if it capsizes, it won't be the end of the earth and the akas would be protected.

You suggest to always beach the TI with the AMAs out. I agree with you that the port AMA was all that prevented the TI from flipping over. But what is wrong with the boat rolling over on its side?

I prefer to fold and bungee the amas in when landing. This way, if the boat were to take a bad wave on its beam, it will simple roll over to its side unscathed.

Because the TI is highly customizable, the configuration varies widely. Because I use the TI for fishing in the ocean it has a pricy Lowrance HDS-5 sitting on top of it. If the boat had rolled this would most likely been sent to Davie Jones Locker. I would also be concerned with damaging the mast/mast assembly.

chrisj wrote:

I've always felt it would be better to take the mast down and bungee it to the crossbars before attempting a difficult beach landing. A couple of years ago, Arno got rolled by a wave and ended up with the mast embedded in the sand. Once the mast is down, I wonder if it might not be better to make sure everything is lashed down, then retract the amas and swim it in. At least, if it capsizes, it won't be the end of the earth and the akas would be protected.

I agree this is an excellent consideration. Of course you would need sufficient time to secure and reconfigure the boat. The key is to all of this is to slow things down. You need time to reconfigure the boat or a way to slowly back the boat in. And the key for that is a solid and quick anchoring system that is attached to the bow.The SE Florida Tandem Island Club<SEF-TIC> (me, mkrawats and, sun E sailor) are meeting on monday morning to test different anchors and ways to deploy them on the Tandem Island. We will report on our results.

Although SEF-TIC is growing faster than we can manage (now a whopping 3 members) we have voted to allow new members to join. Anyone interested can apply to our national office. Please have good references available. :

_________________

Steve

Last edited by snjsanders on Sat Jul 09, 2011 5:27 am, edited 2 times in total.

I wonder if anything I've said is even relevant as I used a flat bottomed inflatable to work out this 'nasty' situation....

Ok count me in to your 'Yacht club', pls.

Not a joke. Where I live on the 'mild side' of Vancouver Island, I still get 4 foot crackers keeping me and my dog awake all night when the wind is a Norwester.

I've considered going out in my AI simply to prove that it will work in a solo situation.

No, a juiced up dual practiced crew will always beat a solo crew with way too many things to do to land safely in a high piled breaking surf. (unless you are well practiced and have done this over and over and over again..until you get it right)

Each fitting will either accept a D fitting, circle fitting, or the obvious, a hook (or dual hook) fitting(s) that will allow you to quickly undo a knot (or twisted line) in your rode by unhooking it.

As the weather is changing here, I'll practice running the breakers solo as it's only a matter of time until I will have to run a shore (in the AI) that I've never done before other than being 50' from my porch....in the last 5 years after I sold my yacht. Running an 8 foot dinghy is a piece of cake as the 5 horse outboard (if properly angled) will allow the rocker (front rise) of the inflatable to rise and fall with a simple twist of the outboard throttle. Matching the breakers is child`s play. Having the same power thrust with paddles is a tough act.

Regards Fred

_________________Always looking for ways to make good things 'Gooder'

Last edited by Trinomite on Fri Jul 08, 2011 10:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.

I personally hate the 4 prong anchor as it has little holding power. It is simply a grappling hook that can loose its lock quite easily especially in sandy sea floors. If it comes to true holding power, I consider the Bruce anchor as the best way to really hold you static, yet it has a large footprint compared to the simplistic grappling anchor...

I saw on the spec sheet they recommend 3/8" nylon, That adds a lot of bulk. My Goodness, 1/4" should have plenty of strength to cut down on your space needs for rode. That will give you a bit more room to add a few feet of 3/16" anchor chain to keep the Danforth set if the Tandem does the 'circle jerk' dance at anchor.

Btw: I saw that Killer setup you've got for your Lowrance. What brand is that unique U bolted mount you have close to your rear mast mount. It looks bomb proof and very ellegant.

RegardsFred

Fred,

The mounting bracket for the HDS-5 is composed of the, Ram vertical swing arm mounting bracket, mounted with 2 large U-bolts. Attached to the bracket is the Ram long swing arm with ball mount. Due to the stress on swing arm I had the arm and the bracket welded together. Connected to the ball mount is a Ram long double socket arm. Connected to the other side of the socket arm is a standard ball mount bracket for GPS mounts. I worked with both Ram and GPS city to figure out what exact part numbers I needed.

I am extremely happy with the functionality and placement of the HDS-5 on my TI. The display is easily readable and the buttons are within a comfortable reach. The HDS-5 is an excellent GPS/fish finder. I have had it for about 9 months and it has been exposed to harsh, extremely wet salt water conditions, countless times and it has worked flawlessly. The weak point of this or any other system is the connectors. You must flush and then I use dielectric grease on the connectors. The only negative on the unit is that the menu is confusing and it takes time to learn how to use it.

Many Thanks for that valuable info, m8. I must admit the RAM mount system has a considerable amount of flexibility and adaptability due to their longevity in this business and also their acceptance in aviation, automotives, the military, and law enforcement. Considering how far that rig is pointed out beyond the center line of the boat, I'm very impressed.

On another note may I use this opportunity to announce this concept for the first time:

Please consider getting involved in this amazing adventure...right now it is in it's early planning stages.

I plan to get connected with a new TI within the next few months to train with friends to aim for using 2 (or more) TIs up the inside passage from Port McNeil, Northern Vancouver Island, Canada to Ketchikan, AK up the Inside passage.

To make this trip as safe as possible we will be accompanied by my Bayliner, Cierra 26.5 as a 'Mother Ship' next summer. I'm planing to do this for charity and help a number of my dear friends to solve their 'tax issues' to support us in this never done before adventure with these sailing vessels The trip is over 500 miles with few 'tropical beaches and few settlements', (and hardly any anchorages. Ergo the power cruiser will act as a floating anchorage to tie both TIs (or more) to in case of coastline and/or weather conditions. The worst stretch is the Hecate Straights which is exposed to the full force of the North Pacific, quite shallow, as Haida Gwaiii (The Queen Charlotte Islands) act as a wicked Venturi to the prevailing winds. (Timing and patience will prevail as our ancestors used to have to wait out stormy weather as the norm.)

This incredible journey will require a number of hardy volunteers and I'm open to anyone's sincere interest in contributing either as an active participant or in the capacity as advisors/com support. Please also consider contributing to the very important reason for this journey:

"To make our World a better place by teaching our next generation in the applied use of all they will have left after we pass...alternative energy, Worldwide."

The Power cruiser is on a tandem trailer towed by a 3/4 ton Super Duty Diesel Ford, and will require a driver. All TIs will require cars to tow the trailers back to Port Hardy or Vancouver, BC for the return trip from AK.

Logistics will require a trip up the inside Passage via ferry from Port Hardy, BC Canada to Prince Rupert, BC, Canada. That trip alone is considered one of the most incredible ferry rides on this planet. Please let me know if you can help us achieve our lofty goals

Hey Life is short. Grab it by the jewels....before the sparkle fades......